Monday, November 23, 2009

Life's little luxuries. They are often unexpected gifts: the hand-written thank-you note from a far-away friend; the cat who spies the spider before it lowers itself onto your head; the Valentine extravagance of Italian black lace languidly pooled in a glossy white box. We all have our favorites. And sometimes, we have to get them for ourselves, like the parcel of certified organic goat cheese I purchased from an artisan dairy hidden in the mountains of Montana, brought to my attention by Toni of Daily Bread Journal, who wrote to me of her visit there while wandering the wilds on a recent vacation.

Amaltheia Organic Dairy has been in business since 2000. Named for the Greek mythological she-goat who nursed the god Zeus, the 20-acre, 500-head operation was recognized in 2008 with a Montana Eco-Star Award for its commitment to fully sustainable farmsteading. The owners, Mel and Sue Brown, have also enjoyed awards from the American Cheese Society for their distinctive, vegetarian-friendly chevres. The Browns pride themselves on products that are made exclusively with their own born-and-breed livestock, without dependence on offshore ingredients of any kind.

For the health conscious, goat cheese is high in Omega-3 fatty acids yet lower in fat than cow's milk cheese. It is generally easier to digest and rich in potassium, Vitamin A, thiamine, and niacin. Four ounces provide 16 grams of protein at the same calorie count as a candy bar, but with no refined sugar, hydrogenated fats, or artificial flavors or colors.

Now, it is your chance for a little luxury of your own, courtesy of Amaltheia Organic Dairy*. I will be conducting a random drawing to select one winner who will receive 8 ounces each of the following chevres: Plain, Roasted Garlic and Chives, Spiced Pepper, Sun-Dried Tomato, Perigord Black Truffle, Whole Milk Ricotta, and Feta - a total of 3.5 pounds of cheese. For inclusion in the drawing, please leave a comment on this post by December 1, 11:59 p.m. New York time. You do not have to be a blogger to be included in the drawing. For the purpose of fairness, anonymous readers who are not bloggers must identify themselves in the comment with a first name and first initial of surname which must match the name given me to ship the prize should you be the winner. Due to the perishable nature of dairy products, this prize can only be awarded to residents of the continental U.S. Family and friends are not eligible to win. The winner will be announced in a post on December 2. Good luck, everyone!

For those who'd like to try Amaltheia Organic Dairy products for themselves, as I initially did, they are available online or in selected markets nationwide.

Flavored with Perigord Black Truffle.

*Amaltheia Organic Dairy is the sponsor of this giveaway. I have not been personally compensated either financially or with products in exchange for discussion on this site.

I am a huge fan of Goat cheese, be it Chevre, Ricotta or Feta. I agree with you that they are so much lighter and healthier than bovine cheese. I am an ardent supporter of organic products. I am very glad Melvyn and Sue Brown are into a family owned business of breeding goats and making all their products the organic way. After seeing the food documentary FOOD. INC, I make sure I buy organic food and that too from farmer's market or @ local farmer's stores. Kudos to this family and they very well deserve the Montana-Eco Star Award.

Hello this is Pierre from Paris in France ; thanks for the sharing and your beautiful photos I also appreciate very much the tone of your blog ; one question about the goat cheese flavoured with black truffle? how is that ? the truffle is so expansive I would not dare to mix it ? but you tell me!and if you wnat to have a looka t my blog you are most welcome cheers Pierre

Wow! I think I saw these guys on food network on last week with the repeat episode of road trip and here there is a chance to taste them too, thanks to you.

I actually make yogurt at home almost every other day. We make the Indian cheese called paneer at home but never would I be able to make so many varieties. Would be great if I can learn to make sun dried tomato and chives with cheese. Roasted garlic too? Would be great with bread or pasta or caponata...truly a luxury..

I absolutely love artisan cheeses , especially goat cheese my all time favorite. It would be a culinary dream come true to win this giveaway a taste this luscious cheese.Kathy Kvampbella@aol.comTheGardenCatCottage.blogspot.com

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